Method of felting fibrous receptacles



Jne I2, 1934. R, E. HALL METHOD OF FELTING FIBROUS RECEPTACLES Y FiledFeb. 16

lllllll @fr gl:

n Patented June 12, l

YPn'ri:NT oFFlcE METHOD F FELTING FIBROUS BECEPTACLES v Richard E.

assignments,

Hall, Olean, N. Y., assignor, meme l to Arvey-Ware Corporation, aoorporation of Delaware Application February 16,'

mi. sum No. 516.151

1 cum. (cl. en -54) me pipe 19, may be controlled by-vaive 2o iii- Thisinvention relates to improvements in a method and means of feltingiibrous receptacles, and refers specifically to a methode! forming abrous receptacle, having a relatively thick wall, by utilizing vacuum infelting said receptacle.

The utility, objects and advantages of my invention willbe apparent fromthe accompanying drawing and following detailed description:

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a vertical elevational view partly in sectionof suitable apparatus for carrying out my invention. i

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of a form utilizable in conjunction with thepapparatus shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the product of my invention.

Referring in detail to the drawing, 1 indicates a vat or tank which maybe provided at its upper portion with a vent 2. A tappet valve 3 may beoperatively disposed in said vent `and is adapted to close said vent inan upwardly di rection. A lug 4 may be mounted upon the upper end ofshank 5 of the valve 3 to limit the downward travel of said valve. 'Ihelower end of the vat 1 may be provided with a closure 6 which, ifdesired, may be adjustable with respect to the height of the tank 1;-that is, the volume of said tank may be varied by moving the closureupwardly or downwardly.

It is to be understood, of course, that the drawing herein shown ispurely diagrammatic and is not intended to show the l'detailedconstruction Qf the apparatus for carrying out my invention.

' A pipe 7 may connect into the tank 1 and may enter said tank throughthe closure 6. A pipe 8, controlled by valve 9, may connect into thepipe 7 at an intermediate portion thereof. A valve 10 may be interposedin the pipe 7 and is adapted to control the ilow o f nbrous pulp 11through said pipe. The lowerend of pipe 7 may be suitably bent, as shownat 12 and 13, and may connect into a ielting' receptacle 14.

'I'he receptacle 14 may be constructed in a ,plurality of separableportions, said receptacle having. a lower portion 15 and an upperportion 16 which may be mounted upon said lower portion, as shown bestat 17. .It is desirable that the receptacle 14 be maintained air-tight,and to accomplish this result a shoulder or band 18 may be mounteduponthe lowenedge of the portion 16 and may be adapted when upper saidupper portion is podtioned upon the lower.

portion 15 to over-lap the abutting edges of the" upper and lowerportion of said receptacle; A pipe 19 may connect into-the reeeptaeleu,and may be connected at its opposite/End to"alvac uum pump or the like(not shown. The with- 0 0 drawal'ot iluid from the receptacle 14 throughterposed in said pipe.

A standard 21 may oi; the upper lportion 16 of the receptacle 14 and mayserve as a guide for the stern 22 of tappet valve 23. The valve 23 maybe so disposed as to close downwardly.

be mounted upon the top To felt a'flbrous receptacle, such asthat shownat 24 in Fig. 3.a form 25 may be utilized. Said form may be constructedin the plurality of parts or segments 26 vwhich may be adapted to deiinethe lateral walls ot the receptacle 24. The base of the receptacle 24may be formed or defined by 'a disc element 27 which may be operativelypositioned with'respect to the ends of the segments 26. The oppositeends of the segments 26 are discontinuous; that is, they do not meet,and said ends may be so formed that when operatively positioned to iormthe vase or receptacle 24, provide an aperture 28 in said vase. Theformat this open end may be distended and may take the shape oi an annularbead .29. It can' readily be seen that by this latter construction theneck 30 of the vase or receptacle 24 may be formed.

The segments 26 and the disc 27 comprising the form 25 may beconstructed of any suitable material 31 which mayfbe impervious tomoisture, such as a metallic material, and said material maybeapertured, as shown at 32. The

inner surface of all oi the segments 26 and the disc 27 may be linedwith a 'screen 33.

' The form 25 comprising the segments 26 and disc 27 may be positionedwithin the receptacle 14 and may be so disposed thereinas to form areceptacle orvvase24 in'an inverted position; that is, the annular bead2'1 ofthe iorm 25 will .be disposed at the'lower' end of the form andthe disc 27, which'is adapted to form the base of the vase' 24, will bedisposed at vthe upper end of the form. The form 25 may be positionedwithin the-receptacle 14 so that the pipe 13 may connect directly intothe interior of 'the form, and the segments comprising the form may beymaintained inassembled position by .means of a ring 34 supported bybrackets 35, which in turn are mounted upon the'in'terior ofthe lowerpor ti'on'l of the receptacle 14. An'upper ring 36 supported by brackets37 mounted upon the upper' portion fof the receptacle may-also nevprovided to maintain segments 2 6V in v assembled In out my invention, apulp solution may be kthrough the pipe 8 from a suitable source ofsupply.`V d from said pipe may through pipe 7 the interior o! tank 1.Upon the initial introduction of pulp intosaidtank,thevent2willbeo'pemand'wlll permit the air contained within'the'tank to enAescape. When the level of the pulp 1l reaches the valve 3, said valvewill be carried upwardly and will close vent 2. Atthis period, -valve 9may be closed and valve 10 may be opened, permitting pulp 11to passdownwardly by gravity through pipe 7 to the interior of the form 25. Thelevel of the pulp within the tank 1 is thereby lowered, and the valve 3opens. permit, ting the .ingress of air into said tank. Asthe pulpilllsthe interior of the form 25, the air within'the receptacle 14 willbe compressed and hence valve 23', which maintains its closed positionby gravity, will open and permit a release of the pressure within 4thereceptacle 14.

The valve in the line 19 may be opened and a condition of vacuum may bevestablished within the receptacle 14. In this manner the f carrier ofthe fibrous material comprising the stantially any desired thickness.

pulp 11, which is usually water, is withdrawn through the sc reen 33 ofthe form 25 and through the apertures 32 in the vwalls of said form. Itcan readily be seen that the bers carried by the water will thereby bedeposited upon the surface of the screen 33. This action may be carriedon until all of the water carrier of the i'lbrous material passesthrough the form, or until a suitable thickness of bers have been de-eposited upon the screen. As the pulp level Within the form 25 lowers,air may be drawn through the pipe 13, producing an agitation 3whichwashes the excess heavy pulp from the bottom part 17, tending to compactthe fibers upon the screen and to remove the moisture or watertherefrom. r

As the level of the pulp within the fo'rm recedes below the level of theneck-forming bead 29, air drawn through the vent 2 may bubble upwardlythrough the bend 13 of the pipe 7 and thebubble arising at the surfaceof the pulp, which is at this periodadjacent the bead 29, will throwrelatively small increments of pulp upon the inner walls of the bead. Inthis manner an increased deposit of fibers may be formed at the neck ofthe receptacle which is found desirable in the finished product. Ofcourse, it can be seen that the receptacle must preferably be felted inan inverted position, as shown.

It has'heretofore been proposed to utilize apparatus somewhat similar tothat described for the felting of fibrous-receptacles or the like, butinstead of utilizing the negative pressure of vacuum. a positivepressure is established within the form 25. In other words, as the pulpfrom the tank 1 passed into the forni 25, a.

fluid, such las air under pressure,-is imposed upon said pulp and thecarrier of the bers, comprising the pulp solution, that is, the lwateris ejected through the foraminated surface of .the form until all of thewater is removed.

An inherent feature, which invariably accompanies this process is thatthe lower portion of the resulting vase or fibrous receptacle formed isweakened by cracks or fissures which are present upon the inner surfaceof said lower portion. To avoid this disadvanta'geousfeature, the wallsof'4 the brous receptacle so formed must of necessity be madeexceptionally thin, said walls .never exceeding a thickness of onequarter of an inch.

By utilizing my process, a fibrous receptacle or vase may be constructedwith walls of subv Consequently, I may make large vases that willbeexceedingly rugged and strong.

By the use of positive pressure very frail tacle, but by the use ofvacuum, in the manner described, a fibrous receptacle having a neck ofany desired thickness may be produced.

When a suitable formation of ber has been built up upon the screen 33.the upper portion of the receptacle 14 may be raised and the form 25 anddeposited fibrous vase.24 may be removed from the receptacle 14. ,'Iheform comprising the segments 26 `and the base 27 .may then be removedfrom the vase'24 and the 'vase 95 may be then' subjected to a dryingaction. Of course, it is to be understood that the vase, instead ofbeing dried vsubsequent toits removal from the form, may be driedwithin-the form and removed after it reaches a dried state.

Inasmuch as the outer surface of the vase is formed, adjacent the -innersurface of the form, said outer surface may be in a more or less smoothcondition and to finish said surface requires relatively short period ofsanding. The productof my invention may be sanded and smoothed to a veryline nish and the `surface thereof will not be pitted. The reason forthis v.is that the outermost'iibers-of the vase lie in planessubstantiallyparallel to the plane `of the 110,

screen, and Ihence when the surface of the article is finished, inasmuchas said surface is free from Ailbers disposed in a haphazard manner,sanding of said surface will not `result in the tearing of said fibersand the consequentv dis- A 290 F. This treatment hardens and vitrines120v the vase. IIn addition, '.the treatment with sulphur increasestheiweight of the article which more closely simulates crockery orearthenware. The outside of the vase may then be buied and colored ortreated with a solution of glue, Whiting, glycerin and water and asuitable lacquer may subsequently be applied.

By the expression relativelythick wall" as used in the specification andclaim, is meant, a wall. or base of a receptacle exceeding in thicknessone quarter of an inch. I

I claim as my invention:

A method of forming a brous receptacle having a relatively thick wallwhich comprises, passing a predetermined quantity of pulp solution ofWater and fibrous material into a closed zone displacing the airtherein, passing said entire predetermined quantity of said solutiondownwardly from said closed zone under the infiuehce of gravity, andupwardly through the mouth of 14@ a second enclosed zone and completelyfilling said latter zone while maintaining atmospheric pressure withinsaid rst mentioned ciosed zone, removing the water from said solutionthrough the surfaces defining said second enclosed zone by establishing`a condition of vacuum externa 'to said zone, and depositing-theiflbresof sa solution upon the inner portion of said dening surfaces.

